Modifying Activities for Osteoarthritis

Modifying Activities for osteoarthritis

Activities That May Increase Your Pain & How To Modify Them

Activities

 

 

High Impact

icon of a running person

Examples

 

 
  • Stomping on shovel while digging
  • Stomping while dancing
  • Hopping, jogging, or skipping

Modifications

 

 
  • Use your body weight to push down
  • Tap your foot lightly on floor
  • Fast walking or a high step march can get your heart rate up
     

Activities

 

Twisting

icon of a playing person with a ball

Examples

 

  • Plant & pivot in dancing, ball sports, raking & shoveling
  • Standing postures in yoga, tai chi & Pilates
  • Extreme yoga & Pilates postures

Modifications

 

  • Move your feet, don’t twist through your knee or back
  • Keep your knee over your 2nd toe, no “knock knee” positions
  • Don’t go as deep into the position
  • Chair yoga & Pilates reformer may be easier

Activities

 

Forceful end of movement

icon of a moving person

Examples

 

  • Bouncing to stretch
  • Rowing & kicking vigorously
  • Sitting on your heels & squatting

Modifications

 

  • A controlled hold at the point of discomfort is much more effective
  • Move at a speed that allows you to control your movement, in your comfort zone
  • Use a towel, yoga block or stool to limit how deep you bend

Activities

 

Getting down to floor or up

icon of a sitting person on the floor

Examples

 

  • Gardening
  • Cleaning
  • Gym class, yoga
  • Playing with children/grandchildren

Modifications

 

  • Use a gardening bench or stool
  • Use a stool, chair or aerobic step to lean on to help you get up & down or to raise your seating level

 
 

Activities

 

Kneeling *

icon of a kneeling person

Examples

 

  • Cleaning, gardening, yoga, exercise, praying

 

Modifications

 

  • Knee pads or rolled-up towels to kneel on if kneecaps are sore
  • Roll up mat/towel & put under shin below kneecaps

 

* Kneeling will not cause knee damage, but it may be uncomfortable if you have knee arthritis. You can either kneel on a firm, soft surface like a rolled-up towel or position a towel beneath your upper shin. For gardening, you may like a garden kneeler seat with side handles that help you get up from ground level.

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